XM To Offer Personalized News And More

5/31/2002 02:23:00 PM Eastern

By: By Amy Gilroy

Washington - XM Satellite Radio announced that it plans to use Command Audio's technology to deliver personalized information over its XM service beginning as early as 2003. XM users will be able to receive personalized information such as weather, sports scores and stock quotes, a spokesman said.

"Command Audio has a variety of patents which will work well with our system to provide these services. We're evaluating the different features and applications and we'll soon begin working with our radio manufacturing partners to implement this in future XM receivers," a spokesman said.

Command Audio in the Spring of 2000 launched a personalized, non-music information service in two test markets - Denver and Phoenix and then discontinued the service after a year. Said Command Audio CEO Don Bogue, "When the financial markets closed to technology companies it was clear we wouldn't get beyond the test market so we took the tools and systems we developed and talked to digital broadcasters. XM responded very enthusiastically."

Under the Command Audio test market, users could select programming via a handheld unit or over the web, however it is unclear how XM will offer the service.